Prelude
Greeting and Welcome
Lighting of the Candles
Hymn of Invocation – Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (LSB 380)
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the_angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!” Refrain
Refrain: Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Christ, by highest heav’n adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the_incarnate Deity!
Pleased as Man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel! Refrain
Hail, the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth. Refrain
Hymn – Joy to the World (LSB 387)
(First verse sung by choir)
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of His love.
+ Preparation +
Invocation
P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Salutation
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
Collect
P: Let us pray. O God, You make us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Grant that as we joyfully receive the Word made flesh as our Redeemer, we may one day with sure confidence behold the Son of Righteousness; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
+ Word +
First Reading – Luke 1:26–38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Second Reading – Luke 2:1–14
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Children’s Song – Away in a Manger (LSB 364)
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the [bright] sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And take us to heaven to live with Thee there.
Children’s Message
Hymn of the Day – It Came upon the Midnight Clear (LSB 366)
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, goodwill to all,
From heav’n’s all-gracious king.”
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heav’nly music floats
O’er all the weary world.
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hov’ring wing,
And ever o’er its babel sounds
The blessèd angels sing.
All you, beneath your heavy load,
By care and guilt bent low,
Who toil along a dreary way
With painful steps and slow:
Look up, for golden is the hour,
Come swiftly on the wing,
The Prince was born to bring you peace;
Of Him the angels sing.
For lo, the days have come to pass
By prophets seen of old,
When down into the circling years
Came Christ as was foretold.
His word of peace shall to the earth
God’s ancient promise bring,
And all who take this gift will hear
The song the angels sing.
Sermon
Apostles' Creed
C: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life + everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
P: Dear people of God, once again we have heard the message of the angels, visited Bethlehem with shepherds and Magi, and beheld the Son of God in human flesh, born of the Virgin Mary and lying in a manger. Now let us respond with praise and prayer, rejoicing to offer Him our petitions and supplications on behalf of ourselves and everyone according to their need, confident that He will answer with all that is good, right, and best for us all.
Silence for meditation
P: Merciful Father, we have lived through a time of great uncertainty and fear and now come again into Your presence on this most holy of nights. Deliver us from all epidemics, from the perils of war and violence, and from the loss of job and home. Open our hearts to receive with faith the joy of our Savior’s coming and to trust in His salvation forevermore. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Blessed Lord, give to those most in need the courage and patience to await Your deliverance, and give to us kind and generous hearts that we share Your gifts with those around us and multiply the blessing of Your rich and daily provision. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: O gracious God, deliver Your people from all their afflictions of body and soul, give aid and comfort to the hospitalized, be present with the aged and infirm, and give to the dying and the grieving Your peace, and those now named in our hearts. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: O wise and faithful Father, deliver Your Church from her enemies, and provide her with faithful pastors to serve the Means of Grace to us in Your name. Give Your guidance to those who lead us in our Synod, district, and circuit, and bless especially our pastors, church workers, missionaries, and those preparing for full-time service. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mighty Lord, You have power over all things. Aid our government and elected leaders with Your Word and Spirit that they be guided by Your commands to pursue justice and work for the common good. Teach them and us the value of life and to work for the protection of the unborn, the care of the widow and orphan, and the support of the aged. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: O loving God, we give You thanks that Mary heard Your Word and pondered it in her heart and that Joseph served Your Son so faithfully. Bless husbands, wives, parents, children, and all families. Help us to ponder Your Word in our hearts and to live it out that our homes be places of blessing and peace. Accept our songs of praise and the tithes and offerings we bring in response to Your mercy and as signs of our gratitude and faith. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
Lord’s Prayer
C: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Confession and Absolution
P: Merciful Father,
C: We confess that we have sinned against You and against one another. We have done the evil You forbid and have not done the good You desire. We do sincerely repent of our sins and ask Your mercy for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord, to grant us forgiveness. Give us the will and desire to amend our sinful lives by the power of Your Holy Spirit, that we come to delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P: Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: Grant this, Lord, unto us all.
C: Amen.
